Diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming the mind. When hiking, our bodies naturally demand more oxygen, enabling diaphragmatic breathing spontaneously. ⒸHanmi Ilbo

Many people visit mountains for their health. It is a well-known fact that hiking is a high-intensity exercise that burns 400-600 kcal per hour, and is excellent for strengthening lower body muscles and cardiopulmonary function. 

However, did you know that hiking can change not only physical health but also one's 'personality'? The key to this lies in 'breathing'.

Does Shallow Breathing Create a Hot Temper?!

Due to a lack of exercise, modern people often forget diaphragmatic breathing and only practice thoracic breathing. 'Thoracic breathing,' which is short and shallow, easily tenses the sympathetic nervous system. The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) is a type of autonomic nervous system that puts the body in a 'Fight-or-Flight' response state during stressful situations. 

When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, and digestion is suppressed. While this is a natural bodily response to prepare for threats, if shallow breathing becomes a daily habit, it can lead to personality issues such as getting excited over small things or easily becoming angry. 

Furthermore, the brain consumes 30% of the body's oxygen, and poor breathing can cause concentration disorders and dementia. People with a lot of visceral fat in their abdomen have their diaphragm's movement obstructed, leading to shorter breaths. If an overweight person tends to be irritable and quick-tempered, they might fall into this category. 

In the case of cancer patients, the sympathetic nervous system is often overactive, leading to thoracic breathing. This can cause body fluids to acidify, leading to rouleau formation where red blood cells clump together, further damaging cell health. Just as the saying goes, 'the wicked drive out the good,' when something bad enters, it drives out the good and makes the situation worse.

Conversely, diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming the mind. By consciously practicing breathing long and deep, one can experience a reduction in their hasty nature and an improvement in stress management abilities. 

Diaphragmatic breathing also supplies oxygen to the cell terminals, activating mitochondria, the energy factories of the cell, and helps to eliminate volatile toxins from the body. This not only increases basal metabolic rate, aiding in the removal of visceral fat, but also delivers oxygen to the microvessels of the brain, improving concentration and helping to prevent dementia.

Hiking is the 'Ultimate Training Ground' for Diaphragmatic Breathing

While diaphragmatic breathing is so beneficial, it is not easy to consciously practice deep breathing in daily life. However, when engaging in exercises like hiking or climbing stairs, our bodies naturally demand more oxygen, enabling diaphragmatic breathing spontaneously.

When breathing, remember to keep your mouth closed and inhale deeply through your nose, which acts as a filter for clean air. Beginners should start with an exhale of 6 seconds and an inhale of 5 seconds, and as they become more proficient, they can increase this to an exhale of 12 seconds and an inhale of 10 seconds. Ideally, breathing slowly with the center of the breath in the lower abdomen, about 5-6 times per minute, is recommended. 

If hiking is not feasible, laughing heartily, crying profusely, and chatting with friends can have excellent diaphragmatic breathing effects. Especially for women, conversation and laughter act as powerful catalysts, similar to starting a car engine, in treating 'stress-induced anger' (ulhwa).

'Sighing' is the body's 'last resort' to expel toxins. Instead of sighing, why not try to develop the habit of breathing deeply from your belly through hiking?

Breathing is more than just the act of inhaling oxygen. When considering the basic principles for maintaining health as 'proper breathing,' 'proper eating,' 'water,' 'sunlight,' 'rest,' and 'gratitude,' breathing is the most fundamental. By simply breathing correctly, many everyday health problems can be resolved. 

◆ Director Park Chan-young

Director of Eoseongcho Korean Medicine Clinic in Sadang-dong, Seoul. Doctor of Korean Medicine from Dongguk University. He caused a detox sensation in Korea by appearing on health programs such as MBN's 'Eomji Wangbi'. His books include 'Atopy & Acne Healed with Eoseongcho,' 'Seasonings are Medicine,' and 'The Miracle of Detox.'